Chapter 117: You think I, Jiang Ran, can

That evening after closing, Jiang Ran didn't hurriedly clean up as usual, but instead, with a mysterious air, took a square box wrapped carefully in torn cloth from under the counter.

"Daughter‑in‑law, close your eyes," he said, a smile at the corner of his mouth, his eyes sparkling.

Su Ruan, curious, still obeyed and closed her eyes.

She could feel Jiang Ran gently place the box in her hand; the box had some weight.

"You may open them now."

Su Ruan opened her eyes, untied the torn cloth, and opened the box. Inside was a neatly folded infant onesie.

It was made from the leftover moon‑white "Luo" fabric scraps from the previous Suguang Series Series Series, its texture soft as a cloud.

On the garment's front, finer soft light‑blue silk thread embroidered a chubby, drowsy little tiger—tiger‑headed and tiger‑minded—yet the lines bore Jiang Ran's characteristic breezy flair.

The stitches weren't ultra‑fine, but one could see the embroiderer's great care.

"When… when did you make this?"

Su Ruan lifted the tiny garment; its touch was unbelievably gentle, as if the softest feather brushed her heart, warm and swelling.

She knew Jiang Ran had been secretly practicing embroidery lately, saying it was to make something for the baby, and didn't expect the finished piece to be this cute.

Jiang Ran's ears were slightly flushed, he scratched his head and chuckled, "Just… after you fell asleep last night, I practiced in secret."

"If the embroidery isn't perfect, don't reject it. I read that next year is the Year of the Tiger, so I stitched a little tiger, hoping our baby will be healthy and tiger‑headed and tiger‑minded!"

Su Ruan stared at the small garment in her hands, a piece that embodied paternal love and clumsy affection, then looked up at the tall, handsome man before her, now a bit embarrassed, her eyes slightly watery.

She stepped forward and gently embraced him.

"It's beautiful, Jiang Ran, the baby will surely love it," she said, her voice a little hoarse, "It's one of the best gifts I've ever received."

Jiang Ran held her tightly in return, feeling the warmth radiating from her rounded belly through the clothing, his heart filled with an unprecedented sense of fulfillment and responsibility.

He lowered his head and placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head.

"Daughter‑in‑law, don't worry, I'll work hard to become a good husband and good father you can rely on."

The warm moment was interrupted by a ringing phone.

Jiang Ran reluctantly released Su Ruan and answered the phone.

"Hello… Mom? What's wrong?"

Hearing Li Huijuan's voice on the other end, clearly anxious and angry, Jiang Ran's brows gradually knit.

"…What? Where? …Okay, we'll be there right away!"

After hanging up, Jiang Ran's complexion was off: "Mom called, said sister and Gu Yanshen were at the cinema entrance, got into a conflict with someone, seems… related to Lin Wei."

Su Ruan's heart sank. Lin Wei?

How could she run into Jiang Jiaojiao and the others?

The two hurriedly locked the shop door and rushed to the cinema Li Huijuan mentioned.

Upon arrival, they saw a small crowd gathered at the cinema entrance.

Jiang Jiaojiao's face was flushed with anger, being shielded behind Gu Yanshen.

Gu Yanshen's expression was calm, but his eyes were icy.

Opposite them stood the flamboyantly dressed, provocatively‑eyed Lin Wei, flanked by two swaggering youths.

Li Huijuan and Jiang Jianguo also arrived, standing beside their daughter, their faces ashen.

"What's going on?"

Jiang Ran pushed through the crowd and walked with Su Ruan to his family's side.

Jiang Jiaojiao, seeing her brother and sister‑in‑law, as if finding her backbone, immediately pointed at Lin Wei and accused, "Yan Shen and I came to watch a movie, and we ran into her right after!"

"She said in a sarcastic tone something like 'Miss Jiang finally found a replacement!'"

"And she even hinted that Yan Shen was taken by me through some unsavory means!"

"I was so angry I tried to argue with her, and those two people beside her closed in, ready to fight!"

Gu Yanshen added, his tone steady, "Miss Lin's words were indeed inappropriate, and she appears to have deliberately provoked."

Lin Wei saw Jiang Ran and Su Ruan appear together, especially noticing Jiang Ran's instinctive stance protecting Su Ruan, and jealousy and hatred surged in her eyes.

She shrieked, "Did I say something wrong? Jiang Jiaojiao, everyone knows you used to chase after other men's backsides; now you've found a patsy, and you won't let anyone talk about it?"

"You're spouting nonsense!" Jiang Jiaojiao trembled with anger.

Who hasn't been in love when they were young?

But that was long ago; now Lin Wei publicly, especially in front of Gu Yanshen, twisted and slandered her, and she was about to lose her mind.

Jiang Ran's gaze turned icy as he looked at Lin Wei, "Lin Wei, I warned you not to mess with my family. Do you think I, Jiang Ran, can't even lift a knife?"

He stepped forward, and his imposing aura made the two youths beside Lin Wei instinctively retreat half a step.

Lin Wei felt a chill inside from his stare, but, relying on the public setting, forced a cold sneer, "What's this, Young Master Jiang wants to hit a woman again? Besides being violent, what else can you do?"

"Oh right, you also know how to live off soft rice, being kept by women…"

"Enough!" Su Ruan's cool voice rang out, cutting off Lin Wei's increasingly unbearable words.

Everyone's gaze turned to Su Ruan.

She was slightly more plump due to pregnancy, her complexion a bit pale, but her eyes were calm, exuding an undeniable aura.

She looked at Lin Wei, her gaze steady, yet seeming to pierce the soul: "Lin Wei, your attack on me stems only from the resentment and jealousy of wanting something you can't have."

"You think I stole Jiang Ran, ruining the beautiful future you imagined."

"But have you ever considered, even without me, would Jiang Ran choose you?"

Su Ruan's words were like a sharp blade, precisely slicing open the truth Lin Wei had long refused to face, turning her face instantly ashen.

"You immerse yourself in a self‑woven victim narrative, blaming all misfortunes on others, using the most vicious thoughts to speculate and attack, just to prove your own innocence and misfortune."

Su Ruan's tone was unruffled, yet every word cut to the heart.

"But look at yourself now; aside from making yourself even more detestable, what have you gained?"

She paused, her gaze sweeping over the two obviously low‑class youths beside Lin Wei and the contemptuous looks the surrounding people cast at Lin Wei.

"True strength is accepting reality, letting go of obsessions, and managing one's own life, not skulking like a rat in a gutter, hiding in the shadows and using underhanded tactics that can't be shown publicly to dirty others just to gain a pitiful psychological balance."

Su Ruan's words were not loud, yet they entered everyone's ears clearly.

The onlookers who had been watching the spectacle now looked at Lin Wei with contempt and scrutiny.

Lin Wei, stripped of dignity by the remarks, trembled all over, pointed at Su Ruan, her lips quivering, yet she could not utter a single word.

She felt as if she were standing naked before a crowd, every darkness and shame laid bare without concealment.

"Let's go," Su Ruan said, no longer looking at her, gently tugging Jiang Ran's arm, then nodding to Jiang Jiaojiao and Gu Yanshen, "Entangling with people like this is a waste of time."